By Courtney Smith 

The AP Top 25 poll in college basketball was released on Monday, giving fans a chance to see whether or not their favorite teams ranked in the top 25 or had vanished from the list.

Five teams were ranked in the top 25 from the American Athletic Conference: Louisville (11), Cincinnati (15), SMU (18), Connecticut (19) and Memphis (20).

The Tigers (22-7, 11-5 AAC) should be done celebrating their win over defending national champion Louisville Cardinals (24-5, 13-3 AAC), from Saturday. Now, the Tigers have another task on their hands as they are out to get revenge on the Cincinnati Bearcats (24-5, 13-3 AAC).

"As I told our guys after the Houston game, we can't have a hangover from that game going into Louisville, same thing from Louisville game going into Cincinnati," Pastner said. "We can't have a hangover meaning we now got to focus on Cincinnati."

In the last meeting between these two teams, the Bearcats had their way with the Tigers by not allowing them to get the easy transition points that the Tigers are so used to getting.

Senior forward Justin Jackson was effective for the Bearcats on both ends of the court. He added 13 points, eight rebounds, seven rebounds, and two assists to lift his team to an 69-53 victory in front of Tiger Nation.

The Bearcats' star player Sean Kilpatrick added 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting (45.4 percent) from the field.

"I think they're (Cincinnati) one of the very best defensive teams in the country," Pastner stated to the media.

By Cormac Parker 

“God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way,” sang Breyanna Tillman, a student at the University of Memphis. 

Students gathered in the University Center River Room for the annual Black History closing ceremony on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. with close to 75 students in attendance. 

A slight twist occurred when the main speaker, County Commissioner Henri Brooks, was running late due to unforeseen circumstances.

Approaching the stand out of breath, Brooks did not waste time reviewing the prominent history makers of the Civil Rights Movement. Instead, her approach was more thought-provoking. 

“The Civil Rights Movement was led by young people who stepped up to the plate,” Brooks said. “They fought for you to have a seat at the table. Now what are you going to do with it?”

By Charles Gray

A little more than 100 years ago, a budding city in west Tennessee won a state-legislated bid within the region to bring a teacher's college to the outskirts of the city.

Memphis, Tenn., known as the River City, was given the opportunity to house The West Tennessee Normal School in 1909. The school was a portion of a state-wide grant that also developed universities in Johnson City and Murfreesboro, respectively.

The West Tennessee Normal School was initially constructed on land that was previously used as a sweet potato farm, but its opportunistic location and proximity to the country's largest railway made it the ideal choice for the upcoming school.

'The railroad was hugely important and had a major influence on the decision on where to build the college," said Memphis historian Jimmy Ogle. "During its hayday, the railroad had three different stops in the district and was used to both carry goods and people alike... easily helping Memphis get the school."    

Initially, the school was limited to a teaching degree and was contained within a few buildings. It was built on an 80 acre tract of land and serviced a total of 200 students. Though the current campus has far outgrown its initial state and demolished much of the original architecture, Minders Hall and the Administration Building both stand as monuments to the initial 1912 construction, Ogle said.

According to Memphis Heritage, the land became annexed into the city of Memphis in 1929 as the school developed an identity and integrated with the Bluff City. Only 30 years after the University broke ground, it had expanded in size with an enrollment of 1100 students in 11 buildings. In 1941, the school changed its name to Memphis State College.  

As the school expanded, so did the area. Farming land turned into residential neighborhoods, commercial space was built and occupied and students, veterans and families gave life to the blossoming University District.

By Kylcye Bolden

Memphis East High School has long been known for its outstanding athletic programs.  Almost two years go, the linebacker coach of the football team, Charles Smith, approached his administrators with an opportunity to provide the students with an option to participate in a different sport — wrestling.

Though the idea was well receive by administrators, it was too late in the year for the school to start a new wrestling program.  Administrators from Memphis East contacted Kingsbury High School about the possibility to form a co-opt team.  The schools agreed to allow Smith and his wrestlers to participate with the established Kingsbury program.

With Kingsbury, Memphis East was moderately successful. 

“Initially, I thought it would be good for my football players to wrestle,” Smith said.  “I ended up getting a lot of interest from the kids around the school.”  

The school was represented by Jimtarius Hampton at the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Individual State Tournament for the 2012-2013 season.  This year the team ventured off on their own, grateful of the opportunity the head coach of the Kingsbury team, Ronnie Landau afforded them. 

“Coach Landau is a great guy,” Smith said.  “I learned a lot from Coach Landau.”

Prior to their time with Kingsbury, Smith had no previous experience coaching wrestling.  He wrestled at Fort Lauderdale High School for two years; qualifying each year and placing third his senior year at the Florida state tournament in 1993.  Establishing a new program nearly 20 years later, Smith eagerly anticipated the opportunity to implement his coaching philosophy and style with the Memphis East team.

With several programs throughout the Mid-South shutting down, the establishment of new programs garner a lot of attention. 

By Kirstin "Kirby" Cheers

Jacqueline Christion, head bowed-chin to chest and arms folded, watched footage of a familiar scene on Wednesday. She had seen this footage before. In fact, she was one of the features in this particular film.  

It was on a day in October of 1961. She along with 12 other black children started their first day of elementary school—at an all-white school.  

"It was exciting, but I was nervous and scared," Christion recounts on the film. 

Christion lifted her head to the screen as she heard the voice of a friend, Sharon Malone, "Once that door closed and our parents walked out of that school, it was us."  

"The Memphis 13" premiered in the Beale Room of the University of Memphis' University Center to a crowd of more than 30 students and 30 university professors and personnel. The documentary accounted the experiences of 13 African American 5-year-olds who were the first to integrate Memphis City Schools. The group was divided and sent to four inner-city elementary schools: Rozelle, Bruce, Gordon and Springdale.  

"That was a part of our childhood that we just wanted to shut out of our lives for the rest of our lives," Malone said on the panel that afternoon. 

By Akilah Speaks

WUMR The Jazz Lover is a non-commercial radio station located on the University of Memphis campus. The station, which has been operating since 1979, is the only jazz outlet in the Mid-South that plays jazz tracks, spotlights community events and broadcasts sports.

Malvin Massey, music director and former jazz musician, is the station's general manager and has been with the station for more than 25 years.  In a recent interview, he shared his love for jazz music, the changes in radio and how his job title has benefited him over the years.  

Known as Le Pilot, Massey is a pioneer in the jazz world and a great mentor to upcoming personalities.

“I love having the opportunity to listen to all the new music first and having a good reputation in the music industry with record promoters and different labels," Massey said. "I stay fresh in the jazz world by keeping up with music. It’s a reassuring job and a great gig.”

His passion for jazz music has earned him a reputation in the music industry, and he has been fortunate to interview some of the greatest legends. For many years, he has worked in the radio business gaining the knowledge of broadcasting, meeting famous musicians and working alongside promoters and other radio executives.

By Jamesa Y. Alston  

The Peddler Bike Shop has kicked off construction in its new building and is expected to open in May 2014.

The shop will be moving to the former YMCA building located at 3548 Walker Ave. It will be housed in the former natatorium area of the building. The estimated cost to complete this project is not known.

“The new shop will have a better layout and will be more conducive for the business,” Court Percer, the current manager, said. 

The Peddler Bike Shop has been a part of the University District for more than 40 years.  The shop was located at 3573 Southern Ave. until it moved to its current location at 575 S. Highland St.

This expansion will be one of the first projects of the new Walker Avenue Streetscape Project that will begin at the end of the year.

“We are supporting the re-development of Walker Avenue,” Percer said. “It’s like pre- redevelopment.”

Contractors have begun filling the pool and laying concrete that was once in the natatorium of the old building.  The roof is also being replaced because of the harsh chemicals that leach out and cause corrosion in some of the metal materials. 

The Peddler caters to everyone with its bikes range from kids to advance racers.  Since many of its customers are students at the University of Memphis who come to rent, buy or get repairs, the new shop's location closer to campus will be beneficial. 

“We’re really excited to be closer to campus,” Percer said.

Percer believes the new store will increase the amount of customers that visit because they will be able to access the store more easily. 

“It is a major plus to be in an easily accessible place,” he said. “We support walkers—the people who don’t have cars."

By Kirstin "Kirby" Cheers

As children, especially those who were raised in religious homes, Sunday school taught stories of Biblical heroines such as Esther, a young girl crowned queen in her youth who rescued her people, the Jews, from a brutal genocide planned and signed into law by her husband, King Ahasuerus (Xerses).  

Esther did not know that one day she would be queen, let alone know that she would have to preside and persuade the people who had cast her family into exile to spare her race from a massive killing. One can even assume, before becoming queen, Esther hated the place she lived and awaited the day that God would move her somewhere else--sharing a characteristic of many native Memphians. 

Memphis. A seemingly unpopular place to live that wrestles against crime, poverty and for many, a lack of opportunities. Such hindrances have been the bane of the city’s existence, especially during a period where recruiting young talent into Memphis is a tedious feat. 

 In 2013, the Memphis Business Journal noted that Memphis is not a strong competitor when it comes to recruiting new talent against cities such as Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte.  Some Memphians cannot go a full day without hearing another Memphian grumbling their loathe for living in the Bluff City, and how they are looking, hoping, wishing and/or praying to move.  

Such attitudes have influenced strategic organizations to strengthen their recruiting efforts to attract new talent to the city. The New Memphis Institute and the social media recruitment campaign, Choose 901, have been strong influences throughout the city, partnering with government officials, professionals and entrepreneurs in organizing to increase attracting and retaining new talent in Memphis.  

However, the talent born and bred in Memphis should not go unnoticed.  

London Lamar, 23, left Memphis for Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., after graduating from Central High School in 2009. After graduating from college with internships from Washington, D.C., to New York under her belt, she did not intend to return to Memphis.

By Cormac Parker       

“On every corner of this city, you can find two things: a liquor store and a church,” said James Smith, a senior at the University of Memphis. “I have never lived in a city with this many churches. I guess I am in the middle of the Bible Belt.” 

With close to 2,000 churches in the city of Memphis, it is not unreasonable to ask the question— what is the role of the “church” and are they fulfilling the role? With all of the crime, poverty, and homelessness, what is the church doing to help combat these needs? The University of Memphis stands tall in the district with over 22,000 students. How is the church connecting with this major university that sits in its back yard?

The search for a church within walking distance of the campus was not long. Exactly one block from the U of M sits St. Luke’s United Methodist Church where Michael Pence serves as pastor.

Pence said the role of the church universally and even locally is to be the light of the world and that, in order to evaluate any community for its strengths and its weaknesses, first start by examining what those churches are doing.

“I believe that the church is supposed to be that place that sets the example,” he said.

By Courtney Smith

Tiger Nation was quiet for the most part of Wednesday night's game against the UCF Knights. They weren't as rowdy as they were on Saturday night when ESPN's College GameDay crew was in town for the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The fans were watching a sluggish Memphis Tigers team that looked to have a hangover from their recent win over the Zags. 
Before the game got out of control, the Tigers had to get going on offense and defense to satisfy the 15,021 people in attendance at the FedEx Forum.

Despite the Tigers' sluggish start in the first half and midway through the second half, Memphis (19-5, 8-3 AAC) was able to hold off UCF (9-13, 1-10 AAC) for the potential upset with a 76-70 home victory in conference play. With the loss to Memphis, the Knights losing streak extended to nine games.

"It was a good win. We found a way to get the W," Coach Josh Pastner stated to the media. "It was not pretty. We got to give Central Florida credit, but we got the W and that's the bottom line. I didn't think we were sharp in some things. Championship teams got to play the championship level every time you step on the floor. I felt like our energy was fine, but I didn't think some of our execution in some areas we were real good."